We’ve empowered thousands of capital region homes and businesses to improve their energy usage—to lower both their costs and emissions.
For many years now, we’ve used our local know-how to deliver appliance upgrade programs and offer substantial rebates which make an impact. Thousands of fridges and one million lightbulbs later, here are the results.
Big Business Light Switch.
February 2017–March 2021
Running for more than four years, the Big Business Light Switch empowered ACT businesses to reduce energy use and save more by offering free or heavily discounted lighting upgrades. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) use about 70–80% less electricity than traditional lights1, and we installed over 320,000 of them at 4,000 local businesses.
If you lined up every recycled fluorescent tube from the program, it would run the entire length of the Kings Highway, from Canberra to Batemans Bay—and back again.
Community Energy Efficiency Scheme.
2021–2023
The Community Energy Efficiency Scheme provides energy efficiency upgrades to local organisations making an impact in our community. Organisations who provide services or support to vulnerable people in the ACT can apply to have their inefficient gas heater or hot water system replaced with a new, energy-efficient alternative.
These upgrades help to reduce energy costs for small organisations, allowing them to keep their focus on the community, rather than their energy bills.
Energy Saving House Call.
January 2013–December 2016
Did you get an Energy Saving House Call to your home between 2013–16? If you did, your home might have been installed with draught-proofing door seals, LED lights, fan seals or a standby power controller (SPC)—perhaps even all of the above.
The aim of the program, in support of the ACT Government’s social and environmental targets, was to lower the energy consumption of existing ACT households. Throughout the program, ActewAGL representatives installed approximately:
- 50,000 door seals
- 1,200 fan seals
- 89,000 standby power controllers (SPCs)
- 1 million energy-efficient lights.
If the number of energy-efficient lights installed were Canberra Raiders fans, that’s enough to fill GIO Stadium 40 times.
Appliance upgrade offers.
2016–present
In the ACT, heating and cooling costs make up 62% of the average household’s energy bill1—approximately 20% more than the Australian average2—making the efficiency of your climate control appliances more important than ever.
We’ve been providing appliance upgrade offers for heating since 2016, and cooling and hot water systems since 2018. The offers help customers save in three ways:
- A discount off the purchase price of your new unit/system.
- A credit on your quarterly ActewAGL electricity bill over three years.
- Ongoing energy savings due to a more energy-efficient unit.
We’ve supported over 2,500 households to upgrade their appliances, including 370 priority households (concession card holders or people experiencing financial hardship).
Fridge Buyback.
2014–present
Large appliances make up 25% of the average ACT electricity bill3, and for many people, fridges and freezers will make up a significant portion of this. The Fridge Buyback program allows ACT residents to recycle their unused or outdated appliances for free. Not only will getting rid of an extra fridge save you up to $200 per year in running costs4, pair this with a $30 credit from us on your next energy bill and it’s savings all round.
So far, we’ve responsibly recycled over 10,500 fridges and freezers.
If you stacked up all the recycled fridges and freezers on top of one other, they would reach twice the height of Mount Everest—or a little closer to home, 100 times the height of Telstra Tower.
ActewAGL and Housing ACT Energy Efficiency Program.
2017–present
Our local energy advisers assist customers facing financial difficulty every day, and this won’t change.
The ActewAGL and Housing ACT Energy Efficiency Program, awarded the Best Energy Saving Program of 2020 by the Energy Efficiency Council, installs highly energy-efficient heating, cooling and hot water units to public housing locations across the ACT. The new units improve energy efficiency, decrease carbon emissions and most importantly, reduce energy bills for people experiencing financial hardship.
In collaboration with Housing ACT, we’ve supported over 3000 appliance upgrades—and counting.
Our community partnerships and support.
We’re based in the heart of Canberra, so when you call us, you’re guaranteed to speak to someone who lives here too.
Along with our predecessors, we have a long history in the capital region—and it all started at the Kingston Powerhouse.
